Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best of 2009
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006
Best of 2005
Best of 2004
Best of 2003
Best of 2002
Best of 2001
Best of 2000
Best of the Decade
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
75
2562
54
30 Seconds to Mars
62
50 Cent
71
AC/DC
70
The Album Leaf
52
Kris Allen
68
Tori Amos
66
Animal Collective
84
Animal Collective
77
Annie
57
Apse
63
Asobi Seksu
59
Bad Lieutenant
83
Julianna Barwick
82
Beach House
72
Beak>
72
Bibio
65
Justin Bieber
76
Biffy Clyro
74
Blakroc
75
Mary J. Blige
78
Blockhead
52
Bon Jovi
54
Susan Boyle
57
The Bravery
39
Chris Brown
64
V.V. Brown
70
Basia Bulat
79
Chew Lips
74
Citay
65
Clipse
66
Cold War Kids
75
The Cribs
58
Dashboard Confessional
81
Dave Rawlings Machine
70
Delphic
78
The Doors
58
Echo & The Bunnymen
73
Edan
59
Editors
69
Eels
80
Felt
74
First Aid Kit
69
Flyleaf
83
Four Tet
82
Ben Frost
82
Fucked Up
83
Charlotte Gainsbourg
63
The Gilded Palace Of Sin
68
Githead
65
Joe Goddard
58
Good Shoes
72
Gucci Mane
75
Holopaw
82
Jesca Hoop
79
Hot Chip
72
The Hot Rats
88
Ray Wylie Hubbard
54
Hurricane Chris
66
Allison Iraheta
59
Jay Sean
82
Freedy Johnston
57
Nick Jonas And The Administration
73
Norah Jones
49
Juvenile
58
Ke$ha
62
R. Kelly
66
Alicia Keys
68
Kid Sister
81
King Midas Sound
63
Lady Antebellum
76
Lady GaGa
71
Adam Lambert
78
Lawrence Arabia
61
Leona Lewis
74
Lightspeed Champion
36
Lil Wayne
82
Lindstrom & Christabelle
77
Lissie
78
Los Campesinos!
70
Lostprophets
73
Magnetic Fields
72
Massive Attack
64
John Mayer
71
Paul McCartney
58
Katherine McPhee
86
Memory Tapes
72
Midlake
88
Motion City Soundtrack
63
Mr. Hudson
53
Mudvayne
75
Oh No Ono
70
OK Go
72
Ola Podrida
61
OneRepublic
80
Owen Pallett
80
Pantha du Prince
90
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
80
Phantogram
60
Pit Er Pat
63
Priestess
70
Radian
79
Corinne Bailey Rae
54
Rakim
79
Real Estate
77
Retribution Gospel Choir
76
Rihanna
64
Rjd2
65
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
77
Sade
77
Gil Scott-Heron
72
Shakira
82
Shining
61
Snoop Dogg
62
Snow Patrol
71
The Soft Pack
80
Spoon
64
Ringo Starr
59
Stereophonics
76
Angie Stone
79
Surfer Blood
74
Switchfoot
75
Them Crooked Vultures
74
Robin Thicke
50
Timbaland
79
tUnE-YaRDs
80
Vampire Weekend
79
Laura Veirs
79
Tom Waits
78
Wale
65
The Watson Twins
66
Kanye West
76
The Whitefield Brothers
64
Robbie Williams
80
Yeasayer
62
Young Money
75
Neil Young
61
Rob Zombie
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Up In Flames
Universal acclaim
Based on 20 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 19 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Domino
Release Date: 08 April 2003
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Electronic
Summary
The second LP from Canadian electronic artist Dan Snaith is more song-oriented (and quite a bit more psychedelic) than efforts from similar artists, with Snaith even providing vocals on some tracks.
Also By This Artist: Start Breaking My Heart
Also On Metacritic
MUSIC: Caribou: The Milk Of Human Kindness
Also On The Web: Manitoba @ Post Everything Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Alternative Press
There hasn't been a song-oriented psychedelic album that's had this sort of life-affirming, full-bodied roar since Mercury Rev's 1993 classic, Boces. [June 2003, p.110]
PopMatters
Some of the most euphoric, mind-blowingly beautiful music we have heard in years.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
Up In Flames is a record in love with music made by a music lover, futurepsychenoisebeatpop that reaffirms how much fun music can and ought to be.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
These laptop-pop fractals... deliver spectacular hip-hop drum breaks and the sort of mile-deep multi-tracking that makes digital technology so much fun. [Listen 2 This supplement, Apr 2003, p.12]
The Wire
Approaches the psychedelic grandeur of Spiritualized or Mercury Rev at their finest while still offering a wealth of carefully placed sonic detail. [#229, p.71]
Uncut
Both adventurous and accessible, a record in love with the obliterating power of sound. [Apr 2003, p.120]
All Music Guide
His tracks are vibrant and imaginative, calling on fuzzed-out guitar solos and summer-day vocals that recall a raft of solid shoegazers.
Read Full Review >Flak Magazine
The fusion of rhythm with textural washes of sound is near perfect in its seamless euphoria.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
Because Up in Flames is so focused on big moments and aural candy, it's wise that Snaith decided to keep the record under 40 minutes. He blows you out and then packs it up.
Read Full Review >Almost Cool
Once again, Snaith has surprised just about everyone, and Up In Flames will likely go down as one of my favorite albums of the year.
Read Full Review >Dot Music
Though Manitoba's constructions are joyously slap-dash and defiantly experimental, he still manages to lure the listener in with woozy melodies and strangely beguiling textures.
Read Full Review >Mojo
A claustrophobic, mesmeric soundscape akin to My Bloody Valentine and Spacemen 3's early work. [Apr 2003, p.114]
Dusted Magazine
The result of this multi-layered synergy, and what helps separate it from its soulless similars, is a record that is all at once satisfyingly complex, but also invitingly warm.
Read Full Review >Urb
Laptop pop that shimmers, shakes and twists like the precocious child of Aphex Twin, Spiritualized and the Beatles. [Aug 2003, p.89]
Ink 19
Up in Flames isn't the next revolution of electro-pop, but it's a damn good try.
Read Full Review >Under The Radar
Up In Flames begs repeated listens and rewards those listens with depth and artistry. [#5, p.110]
Playlouder
Manitoba is a lunatic and a fool, and his strange music, crafted from nature and machine and birdsong and the wind and the air and the seas and THE GODS... it is a fine, fine thing indeed.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
Most tracks follow a simple formula: the vocal from Don't Stop by the Stone Roses + layers of chimes + dog barks + crashing drums = mess. [Jun 2003, p.100]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 19 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Simon G gave it a10:
This is music that makes me feel 25 years younger. An ambient masterpiece, every time I listen to this I hear something new. Made by someone who loves making music, (especially the drummer who is a constant source of musical fun). Probably my best accidental find (of anything) ever. I'm obliged to vote to cancel out Ronnie C's vote of 3.
Matt gave it a10:
anyone who calls this overrated, horrible, etc, is surely a soulless golem sent to destroy us all. Rarely is music so utterly transcendant that it's no longer just sound waves coming through electronic devices into your ears, it's pure beauty and feeling that nourishes your soul. Or, get this album right now.
Pete gave it a10:
Absolutely perfect. I bought have this album for almost nearly two years now and it's still on rotation. 'Loveless' for the 00's
nick r gave it a10:
Best album of 2003 by a mile. Fantastic music that you just don't hear enough of.
w o gave it a 9:
I've had this album for about a year now and I finally got to see Manitoba live tonight. The show was amazing and proved that the complexity of the album could be translated into an energetic live performance.
[Anonymous] gave it a 9:
A fantastic album - it possesses an incredibly layered construction but never sounds anything but melodic. Snaith's ability to draw from so many different influences, yet still bind all the tracks into one cohesive 40 minute disc with so much, well the only word that comes to mind is "groove," is just amazing.
robert gave it a 9:
i only wish it was longer. does anyone hear flying saucer attack in this? saint etienne?
